The health benefits of taking the stairs

Practicing an active lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do to maintain optimal health. With a little bit of education and planning, even those with the busiest of schedules can engage in daily physical activity. Simple switches such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator will provide you with a routine full of health benefits without sacrificing your schedule. There are tremendous health benefits to taking the stairs, walking to work, and more – read on to learn more about how to fit healthy habits into your lifestyle.

Perks of being active

Being active doesn’t just benefit your physical health, it improves all dimensions of your well being. Engaging in a solid fitness routine will cause a ripple effect, elevating every aspect of your life. Here are just a few out of the many positive outcomes an active lifestyle can have on your overall well being:

• Increases longevity
• Strengthens bones and muscles
• Assists with managing weight
• Improves cholesterol
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces risk of heart attack
• Strengthens immune system
• Enhances energy levels
• Boosts mood and creates more positive thinking
• Improves concentration and alertness
• Increases productivity
• Reduces risk of cognitive impairment with aging
• Enhances quality of sleep

Fitness recommendations

Now that you understand the value of living actively, you may be wondering just how active you need to be to fully reap all of the health benefits. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the following activity levels are ideal for a healthy lifestyle:

• Muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week
• At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activity per week

These recommendations may feel intimidating, but once broken down, they’re very manageable. There are two paths you can take to achieve your fitness goals; the classic workout routine, or sprinkling small bits of exercise throughout your schedule. If you like the idea of vigorous physical activity, this can look like having a rotation of running for 25 minutes 3 days per week and weightlifting in the gym 2 days per week. If intense workouts aren’t your thing, you can engage in moderate physical activity, such as walking, for 30 minutes 5 days per week, and doing pushups in between your meetings 2 days per week. Let’s explore both options further.

Creating a reliable exercise schedule

You like the idea of the classic fitness method and are ready to create a schedule. Consider the following tips to ensure your success in following through with your new routine:

• Choose exercises that you genuinely enjoy. If you like the idea of exercising alone, biking, running, and swimming would all be great options. If you’d rather mix your workouts with being social, try joining or organizing a team sport like basketball or soccer. The bottom line is to pick something that suits your needs, that way you can look forward to your workouts.
• Figure out what timing works best for you. If you’re a morning person, you’ll likely enjoy starting your day with exercise. If mornings aren’t your favorite and you’re looking for something to do after work, exercise in the evening. Again, the point is to make this as easy as possible on yourself, so don’t force a timing that could add a barrier.
• Once you’ve chosen your workout type and timing, schedule your workout in your calendar or set a reminder. This will make sure you don’t forget to exercise, and will allow you to take your workouts into consideration when making other plans.

When cultivating your schedule, don’t forget to include the recommended amounts of muscle-strengthening and cardiovascular exercises from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Fitting exercise into your daily routine

You’re not into the idea of a classic workout or don’t feel you have time to have your workouts scheduled in long periods. Luckily, you can still achieve your health goals by planning physical activity in short bursts that work around your life. Check out some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine:

• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you take the stairs a few times a day, you would burn around 65 calories, as it typically takes 15 minutes to burn 65 calories when taking the stairs.
• Walking or biking to work, or any destination, instead of driving.
• If your destination is too far away, opt for public transportation and get off one or two stops earlier than usual, and walk the rest of the way.
• If you’re set on driving, park further away from your destination so you have a longer walk.
• Taking short walk breaks during the day.
• Investing in a walking pad and standing desk. This way you can walk while working without needing to take a break. You can also walk while watching tv, reading, etc.
• Doing yard work or housework.
• Multitasking with versatile exercises such as calf-raises, push-ups, squats, and crunches while doing things you would normally be standing or sitting still for, such as talking on the phone, watching tv, waiting for your coffee to brew, etc.

Doing just a couple of these things every day would have you engaging in cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening activity without having to take any breaks. After some practice, these tasks would become a mindless part of your daily routine, allowing you to be physically fit with ease.

Conclusion

Physical activity does not need to be a hobby, and you don’t need to have an interest in exercising at all to be fit. If you do enjoy exercising, choose the activities you get the most pleasure from. If you don’t enjoy exercising, choose activities you can mindlessly fit into your schedule. The only thing that matters when developing your fitness routine is that it is feasible for your individual needs.

Sophie Labbee

28 Feb 2024, 5 min read